The present invention generally relates to electrical energy generation and more particularly to the generation of electrical energy from the existing motion and weight of a moving vehicle.
Currently fossil fuels or hydrocarbons are the main source of fuel for electrical energy generation. However, these fuels are non-renewable and eventually their supply will be exhausted. Therefore, in order to make the supply of non-renewable fossil fuels last longer, alternative energy sources have been and are being developed.
However, such alternative energy sources have not met with widespread acceptance because of their complexity and/or associated high costs. For example, solar or ocean power generation of electricity produces a clean and constant source of electricity yet is expensive and costly to develop.
Geothermal energy is also a clean and low cost source of energy that has been used in small amounts for centuries. The technology has been developed to utilize geothermal energy such that it is economical to use. However, the main drawback to geothermal energy is that it is dependent upon location and not available throughout the world.
A major supplier of renewable energy is harnessing the power of streams and dams to thereby generate electricity. However, the future of this type of electrical power generation depends on overcoming a number of environmental, regulatory and political obstacles. In this respect, a number of federal laws restrict the development of dams and electrical power generating facilities that would destroy the natural character of a region. Therefore, construction of new dams and power generating facilities face governmental and regulatory agency scrutiny that currently curtail development.
Another source of alternative energy has been the wind which has been used as a source of power generation for centuries. Generation of power from the wind reached its peak in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, however it is still not a significant source of energy. A primary reason for the lack of development of using wind as an energy source is due to the inconsistency of the wind and the need to store the electricity produced therefrom until there is a sufficient demand.
In addition to the above mentioned sources of alternative energy, nuclear power is also used for the generation of electricity. However, nuclear power is controversial due to the radioactive nuclear waste produced as a by-product from the generation of electricity and the problems associated with its disposal. Similarly, even the production of electricity from fossil fuels is controversial because of the waste and smog produced from the burning of hydrocarbons.
Therefore there exists a need for an electrical power generating system that can produce energy in a clean and efficient manner and yet does not further deplete the diminishing source of hydrocarbon based fuels. The present invention addresses the above-mentioned deficiencies by utilizing the untapped and free movement of already moving vehicles to thereby produce electrical energy.